Augmented Reality, Serious Games and Picture Exchange Communication System for People with ASD: Systematic Literature Review and Future Directions

Abstract

For people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), using technological tools, such as augmented reality (AR) and serious games remain a new and unexplored option. To attract people with ASD who have communicative, social, emotional and attention deficit disorders to behavioral treatments, an attractive environment is needed that ensures continuity during treatment. The aim of the current work is to efficiently examine systematic reviews and relevant primary studies on ASD solutions from 2015 to 2020, particularly those using the traditional Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), the application of augmented reality and those that propose serious games, thereby providing an overview of existing evidence and to identify strategies for future research. Five databases were searched for keywords that may be included within the broad Autism Spectrum Disorder ‘ASD’ umbrella term, alongside ‘augmented reality’, ‘serious games’ and ‘PECS’. We screened 1799 titles and abstracts, read, and retained 12 reviews and 43 studies. The studies scrutinized in our systematic review were examined to answer four primary and four sub-research questions, which we formulated to better understand general trends in the use of approaches for attracting people with ASD to behavioral therapies. Additionally, our systematic review also presents ongoing issues in this area of research and suggests promising future research directions. Our review is useful to researchers in this field as it facilitates the comparison of existing studies with work currently being conducted, based on the availability of a wide range of studies in three different areas (AR, SG and PECS).

The application of augmented reality in the learning of autistic students: a systematic and thematic review in 1996–2020

“…It also generates an increase in motivation, the development of research capacity and skills for communication and problem-solving. From the above research studies (Almurashi et al, 2022;Aggarwal and Singhal, 2019;Hsiao et al, 2012;Khan et al, 2019;L opez-Faic an and Ja en-Mart ınez, 2020), it can also be concluded that AR in education enables the understanding of complex spatial relationships and abstract concepts along with self-learning. Finally, AR in education facilitates learning by doing.…”

“…The study of the characteristics of AR leads us to consider the advantages that its use in education can generate. In this line, there are several studies (Almurashi et al. , 2022; Aggarwal and Singhal, 2019; Hsiao et al.…”

“…It also generates an increase in motivation, the development of research capacity and skills for communication and problem-solving. From the above research studies (Almurashi et al. , 2022; Aggarwal and Singhal, 2019; Hsiao et al.…”

“…The study of the characteristics of AR leads us to consider the advantages that its use in education can generate. In this line, there are several studies (Almurashi et al, 2022;Aggarwal and Singhal, 2019;Hsiao et al, 2012;Khan et al, 2019; L opez-Faic an and Ja en-Mart ınez, 2020) that state that one of the advantages is that it allows students to develop explorations that would be difficult in the real world. It also generates an increase in motivation, the development of research capacity and skills for communication and problem-solving.…”

Effectiveness of Augmented and Virtual Reality-Based Interventions in Improving Knowledge, Attitudes, Empathy and Stigma Regarding People with Mental Illnesses—A Scoping Review

“…Since then, the use of VR as a treatment modality has grown. Of note, there are recent studies examining the effectiveness of AR/VR-based therapeutic modalities in the management of patients with neurodevelopmental spectrum conditions (such as autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders) [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ], anxiety disorders (such as phobias) [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ], obsessive compulsive disorder [ 28 , 29 , 30 ], post-traumatic stress disorder [ 31 ], and cognitive impairments in the elderly [ 32 , 33 ]. In comparison, there are fewer studies specifically elucidating the effectiveness of AR/VR based interventions as a psychoeducational tool such as in improving understanding of mental illnesses, engendering more positive attitudes regarding people with mental illnesses [ 34 , 35 ] and reduction of stigma [ 36 , 37 ].…”